INDEPENDENCE, Mo. — The Independence police officer who is being investigated for logging thousands of hours of overtime was the highest-paid city employee in 2021, the KSHB 41 News I-Team learned through a records request.
Data from the city shows that the officer, a 25-year veteran with the Independence police, made $263,602 as a master police officer last year.
He and another master police officer with the department received a higher salary than Independence City Manager Zach Walker.
Three of the top four highest-paid employees in Independence last year worked in the police department. Another master police officer made $230,458 with Walker receiving $226,322 followed by a police sergeant who made $203,375.
The officer in question made more than $160,000 in overtime for painting and light construction work that wasn't bid out in accordance with city policy, occurred outside the scope of his law-enforcement duties and could have been handled by city maintenance workers without overtime, Walker said.
The work was approved by higher-ups within the department, including form Independence Police Chief Brad Halsey.
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